Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!mit-eddie!apollo!weber_w
From: weber_w@apollo.COM (Walt Weber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Problems in Spectre
Message-ID: <433e9987.10b48@apollo.COM>
Date: 15 May 89 23:17:00 GMT
References: <8905150756.AA25014@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: weber_w@apollo.COM (Walt Weber)
Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, MA
Lines: 54

In article <8905150756.AA25014@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> RIDDCJ@KIRK.ASTON.AC.UK writes:
>
>  I just bouught Spectre 128... I've had a couple of problems so far with it

It would be helpful if you indicate the version of system/finder you're running,
and the options you check in the Spectre menus (memory, cache, etc.)

>1) My hard disk always has a floppy disk shaped icon in the Finder.

Mine also - I have always assumed that was due to the ability to "eject" the
hard drive partition from within Spectre, which isn't possible with a Mac hard
drive.  Presumably, the Spectre software is setting some state bit to true which
the Finder then shows as a floppy, since it "knows" ...

>2) The system gets confused if you autoboot off a hard disk with a Spectre
>   floppy in the drive - the floppy isn't recognised by the Finder.  Eject it,
>   and the Finder/Spectre have a fit (seeing a disk come out, I guess)!

Never saw that one - does the floppy have boot blocks but no system/finder on it?
I almost always autoboot off the hard drive without confusion.  What behavior
do you mean when you say "confused" and "fits"?

>3) Any changes I make to the Control Panel (System 6) don't seem to survive a
>   reboot (usnig Shift-Help to restart the ST after ejecting the hard disk).
>   This is really bad news! Yep, all my system files are unlocked.

Yup - standard behavior, since the control panel changes (mouse/click speed,
volume control, etc.) are writted to the ParameterRam on the Mac hardware (it
is battery-powered off the 3-year battery, so it "remembers" across boots).
There is a public-domain "init" which will intercepts the changes and stores
them in a file which fixes this for Spectre users (and Mac users with a dead
battery :-) -- it is called DiskParam, and is on CI$, GENIE, Delphi, and some
of the ftp archive sites here.

>4) Shift-Undo doesn't reboot Spectre.

I've seen the same problem at home, but I don't use it.  I remember one time
where it did work as expected, the rest of the times I tried the screen went
blank, gave a short version of the boot "bell", and stayed that way forever.
It might have something to do with whether the boot disk is ejected or not.

>5) Shift-cursor keys don't work, at least not in MS Word 3.01b.
>6) Word has real memory problems - I have to save every few minutes when Word
>   warns of low memory.

Version 1.9F of Spectre software has some Word fixes (this from fuzzy memory,
may not be right) but many Mac users are critical of Microsoft, claiming that
their attitude is "Toolbox?? We don' need no stinkin' TOOLBOX!!".

...walt...
-- 
Walt Weber                            Apollo Computer          
(508) 256-6600 x8315                  People's Republic of Massachusetts
-The views expressed herein are personal, and not binding on Apollo-